Effect of Lewis/Brønsted acid sites in HZSM−5 zeolite on the selectivity of para-xylene during methylation of toluene with methanol

Abstract The methylation reaction of methanol and toluene to xylenes has been carried out in Bronsted Acid Sites (BAS)−HZSM−5, AlOH2+/BAS−HZSM−5 and ZnOH+/BAS−HZSM−5 catalysts. The stronger acid strengths are produced in AlOH2+/BAS−HZSM−5 and ZnOH+/BAS−HZSM−5 due to the synergistic effect of Lewis Acid Sites (LAS) and BAS compared to BAS−HZSM−5, which is beneficial to the dissociation of methanol. AlOH2+/BAS−HZSM−5 shows the highest activity for methanol dissociation with the strongest acid strength. The Gibbs free energy barrier is only 68.2 kJ·mol−1, but the formation of Para-xylene (PX) needs to overcome a high barrier of 129.2 kJ·mol−1. However, ZnOH+/BAS−HZSM−5 exhibits relative high activity for the formation of methoxy with the Gibbs free energy barrier of 113.9 kJ·mol−1, and 92.9 kJ·mol−1 for PX. Meanwhile, the formation of PX is easiest among three xylenes. Therefore, ZnOH+/BAS−HZSM−5 can be as the promising catalyst for the preparation of PX during methylation of toluene with methanol.